Magneto-responsive Cell Culture Substrates that can be Modulated in situ

The Cadmium Toxicity in Helianthus annuus can be Modulated by Endosymbiotic Fungus (Piriformospora indica)

Cadmium (Cd), as a widespread metal pollutant, readily accumulates in the food chain due to its easy absorption and high mobility. The endophytic fungi are cosmopolitan microorganisms that occur widely in association with plants in a heavy metal stress environment. A current pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of Piriformospora indica, as a root endosymbiotic fungus, on the b...

“Not Everything That Is Faced Can Be Changed, but Nothing Can Be Changed Until It Is Faced”: A Response to Recent Commentaries

Light responsive metal-organic frameworks as controllable CO-releasing cell culture substrates.

A new carbon monoxide (CO)-releasing material has been developed by embedding a manganese carbonyl complex, MnBr(bpydc)(CO)3 (bpydc = 5,5'-dicarboxylate-2,2'-bipyridine) into a highly robust Zr(iv)-based metal-organic framework (MOF). Efficient and controllable CO-release was achieved under exposure to low intensity visible light. Size-controllable nanocrystals of the photoactive MOF were obtai...

Initial stages of cell-matrix adhesion can be mediated and modulated by cell-surface hyaluronan.

A conceptual temporal and spatial gap exists between the first encounter of a cell with an adhesive substrate and the advanced stages of focal adhesion formation. Although ample information is available on focal adhesions structure and function, the mechanism of the first interaction events and the nature of the molecules mediating them are largely unknown. In this paper we identify cell-surfac...

p53 DNA binding can be modulated by factors that alter the conformational equilibrium.

The p53 tumor suppressor protein is a dimer of dimers that binds its consensus DNA sequence (containing two half-sites) as a pair of clamps. We show here that after one wild-type dimer of a tetramer binds to a half-site on the DNA, the other (unbound) dimer can be in either the wild-type or the mutant conformation. An equilibrium state between these two conformations exists and can be modulated...